HTC Touch HD review

The HD is the latest handset in HTC's Touch range, the last one we saw being the Cruise.

The Touch HD has a larger 3.8in screen, a higher-resolution camera and more storage than the Cruise. However, it lacks the miniature trackball that made the Cruise so easy to navigate, and the large display quickly depletes the battery. It uses the same TouchFlo front end, which is a touch-controlled interface that replaces the Windows Mobile Today screen.

TouchFlo has a tabbed interface, which gives you instant access to a range of software. Once you select an application, you're presented with the standard Windows Mobile interface of menus and buttons. As with previous Windows Mobile touch-screen phones, it's impossible to work for long without having to resort to the included stylus for finer control. We found scrolling with our fingers jerky and inaccurate, and missed the Cruise's trackball for scrolling through menus and links in web pages.

Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional is preinstalled with lots of handy software, including calendar, email, browser and office applications. The email client is easy to set up with web- based, POP3 or IMAP accounts, and the browser is the excellent mobile version of Opera. Google Maps for Mobile works with the built-in GPS to track your current position. It can give basic directions, but won't replace a dedicated satnav application.

The Touch HD has two cameras: a 5-megapixel main camera, plus a small VGA camera above the screen for video calls. The main camera can take both stills and video, but works only in landscape mode. There's no flash, but there is autofocus and in bright light the results were good.

There are four buttons under the screen for starting a call, ending a call, Home and Back. To lock the screen, you tap the power button, which is situated at the top of the handset, and there's a volume control button on the left. There's a standard 3.5mm headphone socket on the top, and a mini-USB port on the bottom. With 3G and HSDPA connectivity, you'll be able to browse the web quickly.

The Touch HD will initially be available only through Orange, and its Panther package is the only one to include data. This is limited to just 250MB per month, so you should consider waiting for the phone to become available from more generous operators.

The Touch HD is expensive for a Windows Mobile handset with a bolted-on touch-screen interface. If you need Microsoft Office and Exchange connectivity, you'd be better off with the Nokia E71. If you want a touch-screen smartphone, you should buy an iPhone.

Author: Barry de la Rosa